Lapland - Finland - page 559

Around Rovaniemi
Napapiiri
The southernmost line at which the sun doesn't set on at least one day a year, the Arctic
Circle, is called Napapiiri in Finnish and crosses the Sodankylä road 8km north of
Rovaniemi (although the Arctic Circle can actually shift several metres daily). There's an
Arctic Circle marker here; around it is built the 'official' Santa Claus Village
( www.santaclausvillage.info ; 10am-5pm mid-Jan-May & Sep-Nov, 9am-6pm Jun-Aug, 9am-7pm
Dec-mid-Jan) , a touristy complex of shops, winter activities and cottage accommodation.
The Santa Claus Post Office ( www.santaclaus.posti.fi ) here receives over half a million
letters yearly from children (and adults) all over the world. You can browse a selection of
the letters, which range from rather mercenary requests for thousands of euros of electron-
ic goods to heart-rending pleas for parents to recover from cancer. Santa answers as many
as he can. Your postcard sent from here will bear an official Santa stamp, and you can ar-
range to have it delivered at Christmas. For €7.90, you can get Santa to send a Christmas
card to you.
At the tourist information desk you can get your Arctic Circle certificate (€4.20) or
stamp your passport (€0.50).
But the top attraction for most is, of course, Santa himself, who sees visitors year-round
in a rather impressive grotto ( www.santaclauslive.com ) , where a huge clock mechanism (it
slows the earth's rotation so that Santa can visit the whole world's children on Christmas
night) eerily surrounds those queuing for an audience. The portly saint is quite a linguist,
and an old hand at chatting with kids and adults alike. A private chat (around two minutes)
is absolutely free, but you can't photograph the moment, and official photos of your visit
start at an outrageous €25.
Other things at the complex are Arctice/Snowman World with igloo accommodation, an
ice bar and tyre tobogganing; Santamus, an atmospheric seasonal 'experience' restaurant; a
husky park; reindeer rides; ice sculpture; and varying Christmassy exhibitions. There's
also cottage accommodation and a cafe serving salmon smoked over a traditional fire.
Bus 8 heads here from the train station, passing through the centre (adult/child €6.60/
3.80 return).